Elizabeth Banks is fighting for her, and our, right to birth control. Though the mother of 1-year-old son Felix turned to surrogacy for his birth, she makes it clear the pill has played a very important role in her life.

Elizabeth Banks, who can currently be barely recognized as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games, shared her history with birth control pills in a recent blog of iVillage. Speaking of Felix she writes in part:

His life would have been much harder to come by if not for the birth control pill. How’s that, you ask? Well, it’s a simple fact: The pill is used for many situations that have nothing to do with the prevention of pregnancy. The pill was prescribed to me when hormonally induced migraines kept me locked up in dark rooms for days at a time. It was prescribed to me to regulate insanely painful cramps every month — cramps so painful that I often vomited.

And here’s a little secret I am happy to blow the lid off of: The pill is often prescribed during the IVF (in vitro fertilization) process to help MAKE BABIES! That’s right, women dealing with infertility are often put on the pill to help regulate a cycle so that they might have a more successful IVF. The pill is used to manage ovarian cysts, endometriosis and other conditions too. Not to mention, it helps couples plan for wanted children.

Mixing politics with a dash of cringe-worthy humor Elizabeth Banks went on:

Obviously, I’m not a doctor. I’m just a woman grateful for my necessary and very helpful medication. And I’m sure glad I don’t have to discuss any of these conditions, including infertility, with my employer.

A girlfriend and I recently wondered what would be more mortifying: having to tell her male employer she needed birth control to mitigate a heavy flow or just bleeding all over herself in the office?

On a personal note, from a person who used birth control for years for it’s most obvious purpose, I applaud Elizabeth Banks’ post. And somehow I can’t imagine Scott Adler (The Dadler, aka one of our bloggy bosses here at Momformation) would be too thrilled if we all turned up in his office as Elizabeth Banks and her friend have imagined!

RECENT POSTS:

22 Responses to How BC pills saved Elizabeth Banks

Tracysays:

March 29, 2012 at 3:21 pm

Loved her before, love her more now. Go Elizabeth!

Kipsays:

March 29, 2012 at 3:50 pm

Smart woman! I appreciate her speaking up.

Katisays:

March 29, 2012 at 6:39 pm

I know EXACTLY what she means. Her reasons are the same as mine, when I had to take it. It was not for birth control it was an attempt to regulate my cycle and control my bleeding when nothing else would work. Thank you Elizabeth Banks for putting that out there and being a public voice for those of us who could not reach as many people!

Angelinesays:

March 29, 2012 at 8:07 pm

I take birth control and I believe in using birth control. I just don’t think Catholic employers should be required to violate their religious beliefs in order to provide coverage for it. Everyone is acting as though a woman’s access to birth control is under siege when it is readily available through Planned Parenthood and other taxpayer funded health clinics. If someone is dissatisfied with the health care package of their potential or current employer, I would encourage them to pursue other opportunities.

Angelinesays:

March 29, 2012 at 8:12 pm

Continued… We all make choices in life. The average out of pocket cost of the pill per month is around $100. That’s the price of my cable. My husband and I chose to buy a less expensive home so that I can stay home and raise these kids. There’s a lot of give and take in life. Maybe someone really likes the experience of working for their catholic employer and they just choose to pay out of pocket for their birth control. Cancel that cable T.V. Re-work that budget. I’m just sayin… It’s a free market. This is the United States, not some third world country. People have access to birth control.

I find the last comment quite ignorant of what is currently going on in this country today, with regard for women’s right to birth control. As it is today, some women have access, some have better access and some have a really hard time getting access. There are states out there that want to make it nearly impossible to gain access to birth control. Planned Parenthood is under constant attack and could be facing a major budget shortfall because of this attack. It doesn’t matter what your religion is, birth control is a medication. Period. What you use it for is a privilege your doctor, and confidants should have only. $100/mo does seem like a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of raising a child. But really, if we are such a family friendly nation then why not try and make things such as childcare and PAID maternity leave a priority. AND as for “this is the United States, not some third world country” I have had the pleasure of living in a “third world country (a Catholic one at that) where birth control could be accessed WITHOUT a prescription and for the bargain price of only $3.

Sarasays:

March 29, 2012 at 10:01 pm

Absolutely! Nuff said

katelynsays:

March 29, 2012 at 11:00 pm

I have used BC pills wince I was in high school! I had bad acne and my dermatologist told me and my mom that BC pills would help! The pills also helped me with my regularity! My acne got much better and I still use them to this day for family planning! Thank you Elizabeth Banks!

I am shocked by the previous comments about the cost of birth control in the US and totally agree with Anna Banana. I am religious but am not a Catholic but live in a country that is 90% Catholic and nowhere near as rich and powerful as the US. Birth control is very easily available through your doctor, at a very low cost, $10 or less pm, free if you are on a low income. It is a medication, not just for family planning, for many women, as has been highlighted. I really disagree with religion dictating policies for what is genuinely a health issue. Yet again many women are being made to suffer because of what seems to me to be downright stupidity in a male dominated society. How depressing.

juliussays:

March 30, 2012 at 6:44 am

Commenter#6. The CDC has said that 99% of women who wish to have birth control have access to it now.

No woman has a right to birth control beyond the right to go and pay for it. There is no right to make someone else pay for you to get anything. We do it some, but it is not a right. Rights are the things that you can freely obtain for yourself. I can speak for myself so I have free speech, but no one is providing me with a free microphone and sound system. I can carry a gun, but no one is expected to pay for a gun. I am free to worship as I choose, but no one is under any obligation to take me to church.

Frankly, I am kind of tired of women whining about wanting more access to birth control when there is so much readily available. It makes woman sound self absorbed and helpless. Are we really just the sum of our reproductive parts.

If the less expensive forms of birth control that can easily be obtained are not what you want, than why not ask your partner to participate in paying for the cost of the birth control. Is it somehow more noble to depend on complete strangers for your birth control choices than the person with whom you are having relations?

Heatherf26says:

March 30, 2012 at 6:52 am

I pay for my own birth control. $94 a month. Im on the pill not just for family planning, but for acne and heavy bleeding. I don’t expect anyone to pay for it for me. My insurance doesn’t kick in till I hit a $4000 deductible. So what! I pay for health insurance to cover me if something big happens.. not for the everyday little things like birth control.

Sarasays:

March 30, 2012 at 7:57 am

Totally agree with her. Don’t understand how this can be a debatable issue.

juliussays:

March 30, 2012 at 9:05 am

I think it would also be cool if the actress knew what she was talking about. The Georgetown University policy that seems to have everyone under the impression that birth control is going to be snatched from their frail little hands, does allow for hormonal birth control to be covered.

Sandra Fluke’s testimony led many to believe it doesn’t, but the fact is it does.

Joysays:

March 30, 2012 at 9:18 am

Birth contol should be available to those who want it, but Catholic employers should not be forced to provide this as part of their insurance. I do believe if you want to have sex, then you should pay for birth control. If you can’t afford it, then don’t have sex. Easy as that.

Karensays:

March 30, 2012 at 3:26 pm

Another issue she brought up is having to tell your employer WHY you need to use birth control pills. I think they are trying to pass that legislation in Arizona. Some legislators are trying to pass a law that would require a woman to prove she wasn’t using birth control just to avoid pregnancy. Basically, if your employer morally objects to using birth control to prevent pregnancy, they don’t have to cover it. But if you use it for other reasons, then it’ll be just hunky-dory.

Rebeccasays:

March 31, 2012 at 6:21 pm

this is absolutely riddiculous, I live in Canada and the system is a bit different here as Birth control is covered on most if not all medical plans but as a rebuttal to a previous comment and i quote “Frankly, I am kind of tired of women whining about wanting more access to birth control when there is so much readily available. It makes woman sound self absorbed and helpless. Are we really just the sum of our reproductive parts.” unquote this seems unnecessarily harsh to call us self absorbed for one expressing an opinion that is not small matter, sure we could buy less expensive pills but there are other factors to consider such as side effects and ingredients, success rates and cost the way the above mentioned statement was worded I find offensive just because there are people who are looking for it to be covered under medical insurance or partially covered by other agencies, I do not find that unreasonable as it will lover the birthrate in the states and give parents more time to prepare for the child and have them in better financial condition

Sarisays:

April 1, 2012 at 12:41 pm

This whole debate…

I have a problem with not taking care of your body. Pretty much every religion believes in taking care of your body, too. So can I start a company and not cover health costs of people who smoke or drink or eat too much? Can I pick and choose who gets what? If someone has a desk job, can I choose not to cover hip replacement surgery because they don’t NEED to walk?

There are a lot of things my tax money goes toward that I don’t believe in, things like WAR. Can I not pay for that? Can I personally interview people to see if they really need food stamps?

We have gotten to be so PETTY as a society!!!

juliussays:

April 2, 2012 at 10:54 am

Sari: The difference is subtle, but when you demand a Catholic institution to provide birth control directly to the person as part of a compensation package it undermines the religious authority of the church.

I don’t think freedom of religion is petty. In other states they have taken away the right of Catholic charities to work in childrens’ adoption because of the church’s stance on abortion. It seems to me that you can make a very real argument that the government is trying to reduce the influence of the church through these measures in our society. That may be OK to some, but I find some issues with it– and I am not Catholic.

I just think that government can’t and shouldn’t do everything. There needs to be some balance.

juliussays:

April 2, 2012 at 10:57 am

Rebecca: I am glad my comment had an impact on you. I meant it. This debate, which is really a demand, is serving to make women look helpless and incapable of caring for themselves. Is it really someone else’s responsibility to take care of your reproductive needs? How does that make you empowered? It makes you dependent, dependent on strangers, bureaucrats, number crunchers, etc.

Katiesays:

April 5, 2012 at 8:16 am

This is great, she came out and said what I kept screaming at the TV! lol. People take birth control for different reasons. I went on birth control because I wanted to get pregnant. I have PCOS, so my dr suggested going on bc for two months and then trying to conceive again. It worked, I am 10 weeks pregnant!
When not trying to have children, I take bc because I have extremely painful ovulation.

The general aesthetics of the two phones are subtly different, too. Whereas the 5s continues the squared-off edges that Apple had pursued since the iPhone 4, the 6 Plus is far more rounded: some see in it echoes of the rounded-off lines of the old iPhone 3GS.

Get weekly e-mails with development articles, parenting news, and more!

Hot Topic

We can’t guarantee your kids will eat everything you pack in their lunches — heck, we can’t promise they will take one single bite — but these super-cute totes and sacks sure can make food tempting. Think form and function in one sweet package. You might just need one to liven up your desk-side dining. Shopping… Read more »